Page 77 of Attractive Forces

The crowd cheers loudly as the team runs off the field. I look at the faces around me, people with cheeks flushed with excitement, their eyes bright. This is partly Logan’s doing. He’s helped create this collective feeling of happiness buzzing in the crowd right now.

Chloe stretches as she gets to her feet because wooden stands aren’t exactly designed for ultimate comfort. “I need to get quotes from the players,” she says.

“Okay. I’ll come with you.”

It’s a great excuse to follow her down to the entrance to the players’ locker room.

Chloe pounces on Darren Smith, the first player to come out, and starts interrogating him so efficiently she’d probably make CIA agents jealous.

I stay a few feet back from her, leaning against the wall.

Logan emerges. Seeing him with his hair still damp from the shower, all the gorgeousness that is Logan, causes a thrill to shoot through me. I have to stop myself from closing the distance between us so I can touch him.

Logan’s gaze rests on me for a moment, and his face contorts with an emotion I don’t recognize.

But before I can even blink, his generic jock mask is back on.

“Hey, man,” he says. He gives me an eyebrow flick as he walks past.

Hurt stabs at me.

I watch as he greets an older couple behind me. The man has Logan’s build, with dark hair shot through with gray. The woman is smaller and blonde, and she engulfs Logan in a hug.

His parents.

Jesus, did his dad just shake his hand? He can’t even hug his own son after his team just won an important rugby game?

My throat tightens as I watch them.

Okay, it’s understandable that I haven’t met his parents. The only times I’ve been over to Logan’s house are when they’ve been out because an empty house has been an integral factor in the equation of what Logan and I want to do together.

But surely he could introduce me to them now as his chemistry tutor? That wouldn’t be so difficult, would it? He’s met my family, after all.

Logan chats to his parents, and then other players and their parents crowd around them in an excited bubble.

While I continue to lean against the wall, watching.

Chloe’s suddenly back at my side. “I’m finished.”

I snap my attention to her. “Did you get any good quotes?”

“They’re rugby players. What do you expect?” She rolls her eyes. “I got quotes ranging from barely comprehensible grunts to some semi-coherent words. It’ll have to do.”

“I’m sure you’ve got the skills to coax it into something readable,” I say.

“I’ve definitely got the skills.” She stuffs her phone in her pocket. “You want to go grab something to eat?”

“Uh…” I flick a glance at Logan, who is still not looking at me.

Chloe follows my gaze. “You want to check whether you’ve got a better option first?”

My face heats.

“I just need to send a message,” I mutter.

I get out my phone and type a quick message to Logan.

What are you up to now?